


No.3 Imprisonment

by LiGi



Series: Febuwhump 2021 [3]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), FebuWhump2021, Gen, Hurt Merlin (Merlin), Imprisonment, Post-Magic Reveal, Protective Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), no 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 07:08:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29166972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiGi/pseuds/LiGi
Summary: Febuwhump 2021 day 3 - ImprisonmentMerlin has been imprisoned for weeks, with no hope left of a rescue.
Relationships: Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Febuwhump 2021 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2137632
Comments: 8
Kudos: 138





	No.3 Imprisonment

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'ed by the lovely Onehelluvapilot - Go and read her febuwhumps too. Seriously. They're great.

It was dark. Cold. All he could hear was the wind whistling through the bars and the scrabble of a rat somewhere in the cell near him.

Merlin pulled his legs up to his chest, hugging them tightly and trying to pull his jacket around them as much as possible, huddling under the thin fabric. He was lucky he even still had his jacket. The guards had stripped him of his boots and socks and he could barely feel his toes anymore. He supposed it was to deter him from trying to run away. Well, he definitely wouldn’t be running anywhere, that was for sure. He doubted he could even stand with how weak he was feeling.

He’d lost count of the days, but it had certainly been over a week since he had been given any proper food. Once or twice he’d been given mouldy bread but not every day. A waterskin was shoved through the bars of his cell twice a day but that was all.

Every time he saw the flicker of torchlight as the guard with the water came down the tunnel to the door of his cell, Merlin’s heart would give a hopeful little jump, praying for it to be Arthur bearing the torch and coming to get him.

But each time it was like a punch to the gut when the waterskin was thrown unceremoniously across the straw-strewn stone floor towards him. And then the guard would leave, taking the light along with Merlin’s hope and another shred of his sanity.

After so long stuck in this godforsaken hell, Merlin had almost given up. Not looking up when the flames of the torch arrived, not even shielding his head when the guard swung the hilt of his sword at him as he picked up the empty waterskin. He’d been here too long. If Arthur was looking for Merlin, surely he would have found him by now.

He resigned himself to the inevitable truth. Arthur wasn’t coming.

He’d seen Merlin doing magic. He’d seen Merlin doing magic and now he wasn’t going to rescue him. He would leave him to rot in this dungeon under Cenred’s castle.

Merlin’s cold fingers fiddled with the cork he’d pulled from the waterskin. He’d been trying to magically turn it into a key or a weapon or even a messenger bird. But his magic seemed to have drained away. His power reserves as empty as his stomach. He couldn’t even manage a small light.

The cuffs chaining his hands together weren’t making it any easier. They were tight around his wrists, almost too tight and they chafed badly, pinching his skin any time he moved his hands. They felt eerily cold as well, like they were sucking the heat from him, sucking the strength from him.

He put his head down on his knees, letting his eyes droop closed. He’d even run out of tears.

The scuffle of the rat moving around near him drew his attention. He turned his head towards the noise, imagining the little creature digging in the straw on the floor.

“Hello friend,” he rasped and felt it scratch and tug at the edge of his jacket, chewing at the dirty fabric.

He tried to not think about how hungry the rat probably was. Would it try to eat him as he sat here helplessly? And then he thought about how hungry he was. His stomach ached. He’d eaten rat before… He’d made Arthur eat it before. But he shouldn’t think about Arthur.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered to the rat and muttered a spell. It did nothing. His wrists were painful in the cuffs and they seemed to feel colder all of a sudden. He tried the spell again, but it still did nothing and the rat continued biting at his jacket.

He put his head back down again, squeezing his eyes shut and willing his magic to flood his mind and help him. He couldn’t even feel the normally constant hum of it deep within him. It was as still and silent as the dungeon around him.

A distant noise seemed to startle the rat and it squeaked and scurried away. Merlin sighed. He was all alone again.

Or perhaps not. The noise that had scared the rat was someone coming down the corridor towards his cell.

The flicker of their torchlight shone too brightly for Merlin’s dark-accustomed eyes, making him flinch and bury his face in his arms. He must have been drifting in and out of consciousness without realising, because it seemed far too early for the guard to be bringing him water again.

The footsteps were hurried, not like the slow plod of the usual guard. And then there was a clatter of the torch being dropped as the person snatched at the bars, rattling the door.

Merlin peered up, but the light was still too piercing for his eyes to be able to make out the person furiously attacking the lock on the door. After a few seconds there was a crunching click as the lock was forced open and the door was thrown wide, sending a draft of cold air washing over Merlin. He shivered and shrank back, huddling away from the figure that leant down over him.

“Merlin? Are you alright?”

His neck cracked as he whipped his head up, eyes going wide as they landed on the glint of chainmail and the gleam of blond hair in the torchlight.

“Arthur!”

Arthur was trying to pull him to his feet, his hands frantically running up and down Merlin’s arms to try and warm him up. Merlin leant against him, staring up at Arthur’s concerned face to convince himself this was really happening.

“I’ve been looking for you for weeks!” Arthur pulled him into a hug and Merlin’s head reeled.

This couldn’t be real. Arthur wouldn’t hug him. Not after learning who Merlin really was. Arthur would surely want to kill him. He was a sorcerer. He’d lied to his king. 

“Why didn’t you use… m-” Arthur stuttered, a frown pulling his eyebrows down as he glanced away from Merlin. “Magic?”

“I can’t,” Merlin rasped. “It won’t work for me.”

Arthur looked horrified, then snatched at Merlin’s arm, raising it so he could look at the cuffs on Merlin’s wrists, bringing the torch closer. The metal was covered with runes.

“Magic suppressing iron…” Arthur breathed, his voice shifting from shock to anger. “They know you’re a… that you have…?” It was like he couldn’t bring himself to admit Merlin’s secret. As if saying it out loud made it worse.

“They must do…” Merlin whispered.

“Then you’re in even more danger. Come on.” He pulled Merlin to him with an arm around his waist and began helping him hobble out of the cell.

Merlin’s feet screamed with pain but he did his best to keep moving, letting Arthur take some of his weight.

“I can’t take the cuffs off,” Arthur said as he hurried them along the corridor.  
He shot Merlin a look but Merlin’s fogged mind had trouble interpreting it – was it apologetic? Or reproachful? Was Arthur going to keep him chained? Keep his magic suppressed? Keep him imprisoned even after he had been freed from the cell?

Panic filtered back into Merlin’s mind. For even if he was out of the prison, out of that hellhole, he wouldn’t be completely free until he could feel his magic warming him from the inside again.

Merlin staggered to keep up with Arthur’s hurried pace, trying not to flinch whenever Arthur swung his sword close to him as he kept an eye on their surroundings.

“Hopefully Gaius can get them off once we’ve got you home.”

“What?” Merlin stammered. He couldn’t concentrate, his heart hammering against his ribs almost too painful to bear.

“The cuffs. These types of suppressors have to be taken off carefully so they don’t hurt the sorcerer,” Arthur said through gritted teeth, pointedly not looking at Merlin as he said the word sorcerer.

Merlin’s knees gave out. Arthur was worried about hurting him. He didn’t want to keep him chained and powerless. He felt tears flood his eyes and cascade down his face.

“Thank you,” he breathed, probably not even loud enough for Arthur to hear, but Arthur held onto him tightly nevertheless.

Giving up trying to keep Merlin on his painful feet Arthur lifted him, easily tossing him over his shoulder and Merlin could do nothing to stop him. He clung to the back of Arthur’s chainmail until the rings dug into his palms.

Arthur was helping him. Arthur knew he had magic and was still helping him. Maybe he _would_ accept Merlin’s magic after all.

**Author's Note:**

> I love any and all comments!


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